Perhaps more than any other category at the 2017 Golden Globes, the Best Drama Series winner was nearly impossible to predict. It's not just that each series nominated received tons of acclaim for its most recent season, but that every single one had something guaranteed to bring in votes among the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. So while the Golden Globes snubbing Stranger Things and Westworldin favor of The Crown was disappointing, it wasn't too surprising, since there was no clear frontrunner in the category.

The Golden Globes have a tendency to favor new TV series, and four of the nominees — Westworld, Stranger Things, The Crown, and This Is Us — fit that bill. It also loves TV series and films with major stars at the helm, like Westworld and The Crown. And with this year's ceremony marking Game of Thrones' fourth nomination, the HFPA owed the HBO series — especially since Season 6 was one of its best yet.

All of that is to say, Stranger Things and Westworld being snubbed isn't too outrageous. Yes, Stranger Things became a national phenomenon shortly after its premiere and Westworld sent millions of people running to the internet to analyze every detail. But The Crown managed to tell a deeply personal story within a much broader context, and it was filled with incredible performances, especially from Claire Foy and John Lithgow.

Besides, fans shouldn't worry too much. The Golden Globes may love to honor new shows, but they're hardly the only ones to win Best Drama Series. After such incredible debut seasons, Westworld and Stranger Things will only earn more nominations as they continue to build on the stories they introduced in Season 1. So no, neither series won the 2017 Golden Globe for Best Drama Series, but they will surely be contenders — for that and other categories — at the 2018 awards and beyond.